Easy opening cartons



United States Patent D 3,293,595 EASY OPENING CARTONS William M; Tolaas, St. Paul, Robert 0. Ragan,.Minneapolis, and Thomas G. Mairs, St. PauI Minm, assignors to Waldorf Paper Products Company, ,St. Paul, Minn,

a corporation of Minnesota p Filed Feb. 13,1964, Ser. No. 344,620 2 Claims.' (Cl. 2 29-.,-51) I v v provide access to the carton contents.

During recent years, theme of paperboard cartons to contain products such as bars of soap has become more popular. For the most' part, in the past, such'bars have been wrapped with a suitable wrapper to protect and preserve the product. However, certain advantages are experienced in the use of cartons. Fo'r example, the bars can be better stacked and better displayed when enclosed in rectangular cartons. .One of the problems experienced in using cartons lies in producing a carton which'will preserve the quality of the product betweenthe time it is produced and the time it is used, and which .will be tightly sealed to minimize the passage of moisture vapor through the carton and, at the same time, be easily opened by the consumer when the product is to be used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a carton which may be effectively used for such a product.

A feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the carton as produced, requires no more paperboard than a paste-end carton of conventional type and yet may "be effectively sealed. This is accomplished by an unusual sequence of folds of the end closure flaps which compensates for the extra thickness of the 'glue'flap which extends across certain of the carton panels to provide a tear strip reinforcement.

A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a carton in which the glue flap forming the manufacturers joint preferably extends across one of the larger panels of the carton so that the overlapped edges of the blank are spaced from the side edges of the panel. Such a construction usually has the disadvantage ofproviding irregular surfaces in those closure flaps which also A feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a paste-end carton including a removable tear strip of double thickness which may be detached from the remainder of the carton neatly and effectively due to its double thickness.

An added feature of the present invention resides in the fact that the tear strip is defined by the end edges of the carton blank, and by a pair of perforated lines each of which is parallel to, and adjacent, an end of the blank. These perforated lines are preferably arranged to be located in the overlapped edge area of the blank so that each line of perforation is closed by a portion of the other end of the blank.

A further feature of the present invention lies in the fact that the particular location of the manufacturers joint permits the use of so called tear corners between all of the closure flaps.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the carton in closed condition.

Patented Jan. 17, 1967 FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE '1 showing thecarton in partially opened position. i

7 FIGURE 3 is a sectional view through an end closure, the position of the section being indicated by the line 3-"3"'of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is aplan View 'ofthe blank in flat folded form. j j FIGURE 5 a diagrammatic view of the blank from which the carton is formed;

' The carton is indicated in general by the letter A. As indicated in FIGURE 5 of'the drawings, the blank includes 'ajrectangular rear panel 10 which is foldably connectedal'ongjparallel' foldlines ll and 12to carton side 'walls 13 and 14'r'espectively, The side walls 13 and 14 are foldably connected along parallel fold lines 15 and 16 to front panel portions 17 and "19 respectively. The panel portijons' 17 and 19 provide a total width which exceeds the'width of the rear panel 10 so that when folded into the flat form illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings, the edges of the front panel portions 17 and 19 overlap. j I

1 It will be understood that the terminology which is used is merely for the purpose of illustration, as the panel 10,'for example, could comprise either the front or rear panel or the'top or bottom panel, depending upon which way the carton is positioned. As a matter of fact, due to the fact that the panel 10 is a full and complete panel, this panel would normally be used as the main display panel, and in such case would in reality be the front panel or top panel depending upon the position of the closed carton.

' The rear panel 10 isfoldably connected along parallel fold lines 20 to end closure flaps 21 which are preferably of approximately thesame'area as the cross section of the completed carton, The side wall 14 is also connected along the fold lines 20'to closing fiaps 22 which may be of any desired length less than the width of the rear panel 10. The side wall 13 is also connected along the fold lines 20 toi closing flaps 23 which are of a particular length as will be later described. The front panel portion 17 is provided with closing flap portions 24 which are connected thereto along the fold lines 20, these flaps 24 being of alength preferably slightly less than the width of -the side walls 13 and 14. The front panel portion'19 is hingedly connected along the fold lines 20 to closing flaps 25 which are of a length substantially equal to the width ofthelsidewalls 1 3 and 14.

A weakened line of s'e paration, such as a perforated line, extends across the front panel portion 17 parallel to the fold line 15 connecting the panel portion 17 to the side wall'13. This perforated line 26 extends completely across the front panel portion 17 and across the closing flaps 24 connected thereto. In preferred form, the perforated line 26 is spaced from the end edge 27 of the blank a distance slightly less than the width of the overlapped areas. In other words, the perforated line 26 is preferably located in the portion of the carton which is of double thickness when the ends of the blank are overlapped. The front panel portion 19 is provided with a similar weakened line of separation 29 which extends parallel to the fold line 16 connecting the front panel portion 19 to the side wall 14, and the weakened line extends entirely across the front panel portion 19 and continues across the closing flaps 25 connected to the front panel portion 19. Notches or slits 29 are provided at the ends of the perforated line 29 so that the end extremity of the area between the perforated line 29 and the edge 30 of the blank can be grasped. The weakened line 29 is spaced from the end edge 39 of the blank a distance slightly less than the width of the overlapped area so that this perforated line also falls within the area of the carton which 3 is of double thickness and is covered by the opposite edge of the blank. 7 v

The area between the weakened line 26 and the edge 27 of the blank forms an outer tear strip indicated in general by the numeral 31. The area between the weakened line 29 and the end edge 30 of the blank forms an inner tear strip and is indicated in general by the numeral 32. When the carton is glued into flat folded form as shown in FIGURE 4, adhesive is applied between the areas 31 and 32, and these two areas are firmly adhered together.

The closing of the carton ends is accomplished in the manner best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The closing flaps 22 hinged to the side wall 14 are first folded down into right angular relation to the side walls 14. The full area flaps 21 hinged to the ends of the rear panel are folded down to overlie the first folded flap 22 and are adhered thereto. The flaps 23 which are hingedly connected to the side wall 13 are thenfolded to lie outwardly of the corresponding flaps 21. As a final closing operation, the combined flaps 24, 25 are then folded down to overlie the previously folded closure flaps. When closed, the carton ends appear as indicated in FIG- URE 3 in section. I

The end edges of the flaps 23, indicated by the numeral 33, are arranged 'to abut against the end edge 30 of the lank which forms the side edges of the flaps 25. In other words, the closing flaps 23 are of a length substantially equal to the width of the rear panel 10 less the width of the front wall portion 19. As a result, the outer surface of the combined flaps 23 and 25 present a su bstantially flat outer surface. This arrangement presents a hollow channel between the flaps 23 and 25 through which moisture vapor may pass;

The end closure flaps are preferably sealed with hot melt adhesive or heat activated adhesive to provide a tight seal, and sufiicient adhesive is preferably used to fill any channel between the substantially abutting edges and 33. The slits between the side walls and the front and rear panels may terminate short'of the fold lines 20 to form so-called tear corners which add to the effectiveness of the corner seals. Furthermore, while the end edge 30 of the blank extends slightly beyond the perforated line 26 when the carton is formed, thisextension is not sufii cient to prevent the inner tear strip 32 from pulling through the overlying portion of theblank as the tear strip is removed. 'f

In accordance with the patent statutes, we have described the principles of construction and operation of our improvement in easy opening cartons, and while we have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, we desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim: f

1. A carton including a series of panels including:

(a) a rear panel,

(b) side walls hingedly connected to opposite edges of said rear panel,

(c) closure flaps hingedly connected to said side walls,

(d) a front panel portion hingedly connected to each said side wall panel,

(e) said front panel portions being of a combined Width exceeding the width of said rear panel and overlapping to form a double thickness area extending longitudinally of said front panel portions,

(f) end closure flaps hingedly connected to said rear panel and front panel portions,

(g) closure flaps connected to the front panel portions overlapping to provide inner front panel flaps and outer front panel flaps adhered together in the over lapped area,

'(h) end closure flaps of the rear panel being folded into generally right angular relation to the rear panel and being of substantially the same cross-sectional shape as the carton to form an end closure,

(i) said inner front panel flaps being adhered in face contact with a portion of said rear wall closure flap,

(j) one of said side wall closure flaps adhered between, and in face contact with, a portion of said rear wall closure flap and said outer front panel flap,

(k) said one side wall closure flap having an end edge arranged to abut aside edge of a said front panel ap,

(1) weakened lines of separation extending parallel to the overlapped edges of said front panel portions and front panel flaps, said weakened lines extending substantially along the edges of the double thickness areas of said front panel portions and front panel (m) the length of said sidewall closure flap adhered between said rear wall closure flap and said outer front panel flap being substantially equal to the width of the rear panel less the width of said inner front panel flap.

2. The structure of claim 1 and including a side wall closure flap on the other of said side walls adhered in face contact with the inner surface of said rear wall closure flap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,708,545 5/1955 Seith 22937 X 2,833,404 5/1958 Jacobs et al. 229-51 X 3,065,896 11/1962 Grapp 229-51 3,131,852 5/l964 Forbes 229-51 3,168,974 2/1965 Buttery et al. 229-51 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. D; T, MOORHEAD, Assistant Examiner, 

1. A CARTON INCLUDING A SERIES OF PANELS INCLUDING: (A) A REAR PANEL, (B) SIDE WALLS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO OPPOSITE EDGES OF SAID REAR PANEL, (C) CLOSURE FLAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID SIDE WALLS, (D) A FRONT PANEL PORTION HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO EACH SAID SIDE WALL PANEL, (E) SAID FRONT PANEL PORTIONS BEING OF A COMBINED WIDTH EXCEEDING THE WIDTH OF SAID REAR PANEL AND OVERLAPPING TO FORM A DOUBLE THICKNESS AREA EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID FRONT PANEL PORTIONS, (F) END CLOSURE FLAPS HINGEDLY CONNECTED TO SAID REAR PANEL AND FRONT PANEL PORTIONS, (G) CLOSURE FLAPS CONNECTED TO THE FRONT PANEL PORTIONS OVERLAPPING TO PROVIDE INNER FRONT PANEL FLAPS AND OUTER FRONT PANEL FLAPS ADHERED TOGETHER IN THE OVERLAPPED AREA, (H) END CLOSURE FLAPS OF THE REAR PANEL BEING FOLDED INTO GENERALLY RIGHT ANGULAR RELATION TO THE REAR PANEL AND BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY THE SAME CROSS-SECTIONAL SHAPE AS THE CARTON TO FORM AN END CLOSURE, (I) SAID INNER FRONT PANEL FLAPS BEING ADHERED IN FACE CONTACT WITH A PORTION OF SAID REAR WALL CLOSURE FLAP, (J) ONE OF SAID SIDE WALL CLOSURE FLAPS ADHERED BETWEEN, AND IN FACE CONTACT WITH, A PORTION OF SAID REAR WALL CLOSURE FLAP AND SAID OUTER FRONT PANEL FLAP, (K) SAID ONE SIDE WALL CLOSURE FLAP HAVING AN END EDGE ARRANGED TO ABUT A SIDE EDGE OF A SAID FRONT PANEL FLAP, (L) WEAKENED LINES OF SEPARATION EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE OVERLAPPED EDGES OF SAID FRONT PANEL PORTIONS AND FRONT PANEL FLAPS, SAID WEAKENED LINES EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY ALONG THE EDGES OF THE DOUBLE THICKNESS AREAS OF SAID FRONT PANEL PORTIONS AND FRONT PANEL FLAPS, (M) THE LENGTH OF SAID SIDE WALL CLOSURE FLAP ADHERED BETWEEN SAID REAR WALL CLOSURE FLAP AND SAID OUTER FRONT PANEL FLAP BEING SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE WIDTH OF THE REAR PANEL LESS THE WIDTH OF SAID INNER FRONT PANEL FLAP. 